The nurse is preparing to assess a patient's abdomen by ...

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The nurse is preparing to assess a patient's abdomen by palpation. How should the nurse proceed?
 
  a. Palpation of reportedly tender areas are avoided because palpation in these areas may cause pain.
  b. Palpating a tender area is quickly performed to avoid any discomfort that the patient may experience.
  c. The assessment begins with deep palpation, while encouraging the patient to relax and to take deep breaths.
  d. The assessment begins with light palpation to detect surface characteristics and to accustom the patient to being touched.

Question 2

Which of these techniques uses the sense of touch to assess texture, temperature, moisture, and swelling when the nurse is assessing a patient?
 
  a. Palpation
  b. Inspection
  c. Percussion
  d. Auscultation

[hramirez205]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
Light palpation is initially performed to detect any surface characteristics and to accustom the person to being touched. Tender areas should be palpated last, not first.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
Palpation uses the sense of touch to assess the patient for these factors. Inspection involves vision; percussion assesses through the use of palpable vibrations and audible sounds; and auscultation uses the sense of hearing.

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TYSM

[kusterl]

Excellent